The present invention pertains to a visor and particularly to a visor having a vanity mirror.
Illuminated vanity mirror visors have become a popular accessory on many vehicles and standard equipment on several vehicle models. Such visors provide the normal sun blocking functions and in addition provide a vanity mirror which can be illuminated for use under low ambient light conditions. The mirror in such visor is selectively covered by a protective cover to conceal the mirror when not in use. This visor construction is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,241, issued Oct. 7, 1980, and entitled VISOR ASSEMBLY. In such visor construction, the cover is spring biased to selective open and closed positions so that the cover will remain closed under the force of the spring or remain in a snapped-open position. A coil spring coupled to the visor mirror frame and to an arm on the cover pivot is employed to provide this desirable cover control.
Other visor controls have also been proposed such as a spring coupled between the visor frame and directly to the cover as, for example, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,899, issued Jan. 1, 1985, and entitled VISOR COVER ASSEMBLY. Also, a visor cover pivot rod and mirror frame socket have included camming means for controlling the visor cover. Such structure is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,169, issued July 15, 1980, and entitled COVERED VISOR MIRROR. Other covered vanity mirror visors have employed L-shaped leaf springs extending between a separate housing for a mirror frame and a cover mounted to the housing to cooperate with tabs on the cover for urging and holding the cover between closed and open positions.
Some of the covered vanity mirror visors also include lights for the mirror to facilitate its use in low ambient light conditions. It is desirable for safety and convenience to actuate the lights by the actuation of the cover, and a variety of switch arrangements have been proposed such as those set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,404, issued Dec. 28, 1976, and entitled VISOR ILLUMINATED MIRROR; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,075,468, issued Feb. 21, 1978, and entitled VISOR AND MIRROR ASSEMBLY. In addition, push-button switches mounted to the mirror frame and actuated upon opening and closing of the cover have been provided as have knife switches with one element of the knife switch mounted to the cover and the remaining element of the knife switch mounted to the mirror housing.